The Life of Tsuna Sawada
by CakeTops
Summary: Hibari always had a soft spot for cute things and unfortunately for Tsuna, the prefect had decided to classify her as "cute". And that was how it all started. AllxTsuna. Fem!Tsuna. High School AU. New take on the series with the gang all in high school.
1. Target 01 Staring

**Summary** : Hibari always had a soft spot for cute things and unfortunately for Tsuna, the prefect had decided to classify her as "cute". And that was how it all started. AllxTsuna. Fem!Tsuna. High School AU.

A/N: A new take on the series with the gang all in high school.

* * *

 **Target 01 Staring**

* * *

He was staring at her again; unblinking dark eyes fixated on her as if she was the most interesting thing he had ever seen. Modern movies and televisions may spin it any way they wanted, but Tsuna did not find being stared at by the most dangerous man in school at all romantic or flattering. If she was being honest - and she usually was - it was starting to freak her out and make her feel more and more like an inmate on death row with no idea when her executioner will come put her out of her misery.

"That's the second time today," Kyoko remarked, frowning a little. Tsuna thought if Kyoko - also known as the school's adorable air headed idol - had noticed it, it must mean that Hibari was slowly upping the ante on his staring game. That was not a comforting thought. "Tsuna? What did you do to him?"

Tsuna resisted the urge to cry.

 _Why did everything bad happen to her? God, what did she do to deserve this? She was a nice girl; a helpful girl. She never cursed and she never disrespected anyone. She didn't deserve to be Hibari's prey._

"I didn't do anything," she complained pathetically, her eyes big and pleading, "He just started staring at me for no apparent reason. It's putting me on edge." It wasn't just at school either. Tsuna couldn't relax even at home, paranoid that Hibari would pop out of no where and stare at her some more. Tsuna wasn't even sure if a physical beating was better or worse then this slow torture.

"And with good reason too," Hana sighed and mercifully moved her chair a little to block Tsuna from Hibari's line of sight. Tsuna was so happy to know someone brave enough to get between Hibari and his prey. God, she really was a small animal, wasn't she? "If Hibari was anyone else, I would say he has a crush on you."

Tsuna's face burst in to flames at her words, nearly falling off her chair in shock. Did Hana really say what she thought she had just said? Crush? Hibari? Really? Was she out of her mind? Hibari did not have crushes. Although, Hibari did crush people he didn't like on a regular basis. Tsuna, like any other unfortunate soul attending Nanimori High, knew only too well what would become of you if you ever end up on his bad side. It was a most chilling thought.

"S…Shut up Hana," she hissed, giving her friend a small push, "Don't even insinuate things like that. It's bad karma."

Kyoko giggled, looking delighted by the turn in the conversation.

"Why is it bad?" she asked seriously and Tsuna gaped at her sincere tone, "Although Hibari is a little violent, he is still considered one of the best looking boys in our school."

"A little violent?" Tsuna repeated incredulously, choosing to ignore the second part of her comment. That was a whole new can of worms she did not want to touch, even with a 10 feet pole. "He sent 10 boys to the hospital in the past week alone. How is that a little violent!? And how on Earth does he keep getting away with it?"

"Hibari's father is Nanimori's chef of police," Hana explained matter-of-factedly, sounding like a teacher giving a lecture, "He's a conservative man who believes in physical discipline."

 _No wonder Hibari turned out so twisted,_ Tsuna thought but did not say.

"His mother owns practically every business in town," Hana continued, "The Hibaris are filthy rich. It's normal that their only son has so much leeway."

"That is not fair," Tsuna whimpered and buried her face in her arms.

"No it's not," Hana agreed and patted her on the head like she would a small animal. It was strangely soothing. "Oh and he's gone now."

"Thank God," Tsuna said before revising her words when Mr. Nezu came storming in, yelling at everyone to take their seats.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

He was staring at her again; arms crossed and gaze intense, looking for all the world like a disapproving parent about to rain hell fire on their naughty children. Except, Hibari was far from a parent and Tsuna had done nothing that would classify her as "naughty".

"Sawada," Ayame Tendo snapped, glaring at her. She was her assigned partner for the class and was doing nothing to hide her displeasure. "What did you do to Hibari? Normally, he never paid attention to anyone until they broke some kind of rule but now…"

She trailed off meaningfully. Two girls sitting next to them fidgeted nervously as Hibari's gaze intensified.

"I didn't do anything," Tsuna complained, trying to use Ayame as cover, "Please believe me."

"I don't care," Ayame snapped, "I had enough. This whole Hibari thing is not good for my nerves. I'm leaving and you get to explain to the teacher why. Whatever is going on; I want no part of it."

Tsuna whimpered as the girl got to her feet in one smooth movement and started to move away, leaving Hibari a clear view of where Tsuna was sitting, trying not to hyperventilate.

"You could confront him," one of Ayame's friends suggested before she was unceremoniously pulled away by another girl.

Tsuna sighed, distressed.

There was no way confronting Hibari would end well. But, if this thing continued, she would have no choice but to confront him.

Tsuna was not looking forward to the bruises she was going to end up with.

TBC.


	2. Target 02 Hibari Kyoya

**A/N 1: Thank you so much for the wonderful support. Here is chapter 2. Other characters are going to make their entrance really soon.**

 **A/N 2:** My first attempt at a second chapter seemed forced. It was just really awkward to read so I changed the ending a little bit to make if flow better.

* * *

 **Target 02 Hibari Kyoya**

 _In which Hibari does what Hibari wants..._

* * *

Confronting Hibari Kyoya was not a decision one made easily. It took a whole new brand of foolishness - or desperation as was in Tsuna's case - to decide it was a good idea to do so. In the 4 hours between her vow to talk to the prefect and the end of school, Tsuna had almost succeeded in talking herself out of it…twice. If it wasn't for Hana's interference, she would probably be on her way home by now, instead of walking slowly to the Disciplinary Committee's office, her head bowed and her heart thumping.

Was this how her last minutes would be? At least she wasn't alone, Tsuna thought rather morbidly. She would hate to die alone.

"Take a deep breath," Kyoko suggested, a hand resting gently on Tsuna's shoulder. She was trying to smile, but it was obvious she was as nervous and worried as Tsuna was. Kyoko may be a little oblivious in regards to certain aspects of life, but she knew all too well just how volatile and dangerous Hibari was. After all, he had been the one responsible for sending her brother to the infirmary last semester. "And Hana, can you do something about her trembling?"

"I…I thought it was an earthquake," Tsuna stuttered, trying for funny but only ending up sounding terrified.

Hana sighed.

"We'll be here with you," she said, taking Tsuna's bag from her before the girl could drop it. "Remember. Hibari won't hurt you unless you give him a reason to."

"Isn't my presence enough of a reason?" she asked pitifully.

Hana rolled her eyes.

"Hibari is not a monster," she said in the tone of someone who hadn't seen Hibari reduce 2 boys to nothing but a whimpering pile of broken bones and blood. "Remember not to provoke him. I know for a fact that predators likes to see submission. So Tsuna, when you sense danger, submit."

 _At least that she can do._

"Hana watches the Animal Kingdom show on a daily basis," Kyoko explained helpfully and Tsuna was suddenly assaulted by the image of her cowering on the floor as Hibari stood over her, ready to pounce, those tonfas of his glinting in the room's artificial light. It was a picture-perfect horror movie scene just before the heroine - aka her - gets killed by the story's main villain - aka Hibari.

Tsuna gulped audibly as her trembling doubled in force.

"Whatever," Hana sighed, looking unconcerned by the whole situation. Hana had always been the most courageous out of the three of them. "Come on you big coward, let's get this thing over with."

* * *

The Disciplinary Committee Outer Office was empty except for a grim faced delinquent with a pompadour haircut sitting at a wooden desk, looking bored out of his mind. He jumped up though when Tsuna and company entered the room and gave them a small bow and asked them why they were there.

"Is Hibari-sempai there?" Tsuna inquired, resisting the urge to fidget nervously. She could already feel sweat trickling down her back and couldn't find a polite way to wipe it away. At the end of this adventure, she was going to have to take a long shower and Mama was probably going to lecture her again on the importance of conserving water.

Tsuna resisted the urge to bang her head against the wall until she was either unconscious or too out of it to think.

Lackey number 1 - whose name Tsuna didn't know and did not bother to find out - nodded, looking taken aback. It was probably the first time anyone had voluntarily tried to seek Hibari out. Normally, Hibari would be the one to seek you out, whether you wanted or not. And purely social calls would never be on the table.

"Can I see him?" Tsuna continued, one hand holding on to Kyoko's sleeve for support. For once, Kyoko wasn't smiling, adding to the grimness of the whole situation.

"Yes of course," the young man replied, "But only one person at a time. You know how Hibari feels about crowds."

"Of course," Tsuna said. That, she had expected.

"We'll be here waiting for you," Kyoko said and Tsuna gave her a small grin in thanks. Hana repeated the sentiment in a much calmer tone, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Tsuna turned and started to walk towards her doom.

* * *

Hibari Kyoya wasn't known as the Demon of Nanimori for nothing; there was just an aura about him - some may call it a killing aura - that made even the most courageous person quiver in their boots. Since Tsuna was neither courageous or a good fighter, just the sight of the prefect standing a few feet away, not doing anything particularly threatening except looking out the window with a blank expression on his face, was enough to make her question her decision. Talking to Hibari was like walking on a mine-filled land. You never know when you would step on a mine which will cause him to explode. Few people came out of an encounter with the older boy unscathed. Tsuna just hoped she would be among the lucky few who would live to tell the tale.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada," Hibari said without even turning around. Tsuna didn't even bother asking why he knew it was her. Sometimes, Hibari's omnipresence was almost inhumane. That was also one of the things she had gotten used to over the years. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello…sempai," Tsuna said meekly and decided to go for broke. It Hibari was going to kill her for speaking so frankly, drawing out the conversation was not going to help alleviate her punishment. "I was just wondering if you wanted to tell me something. You have been staring at me pretty regularly these past few days."

Silence. _Shit, maybe that had been a little too direct._

"Sempai?" Tsuna asked once more when it was obvious Hibari was not about to answer.

"There is nothing," he finally said, turning towards her, his gaze as unnerving as ever, "You may leave now."

At that moment, any normal person would take the offered way out and get the hell out of there. But Tsuna being who she was couldn't leave when her intution was was telling her that Hibari was not telling the whole truth.

"Will you stop staring at me then?" she pushed, hitting the crux of the matter on its head.

"No," Hibari replied matter-of-factedly, his arms crossed. "Because you are a small animal."

Hibird took that moment to fly down from its perch and landed in Tsuna's hair.

"Small animal, small animal," it chirped happily and suddenly, Tsuna understood.

"Are you comparing me to," she took a breath, "to Hibird?"

Was she so pathetic that Hibari doesn't even see her as a person?

"Small animal," Hibari agreed, almost as if he was reading her thoughts, "needs to be protected or else they may die."

What on Earth was Hibari talking about? Die? Really? Can he be any more dramatic? And what is this protection? Tsuna didn't need protection and if she did need one, Hibari would be the last person she would turn to. After all, most people needed to be protected from Hibari and not by Hibari.

"No…No," she stuttered, taking a step back. She could already see the sea of fallen bodies as a result of Hibari's so called protection. She still didn't know what was going through the prefect's head, but one thing is for sure, she needed to put a stop to it now. "No, I don't need any protection. I'm fine by myself."

"Small animals need to be protected," Hibari repeated, eyes narrowing. He took a menacing step forwards, tonfas making an unwelcome entrance. "Or they'll be eaten."

This was not Animal Kingdom, Tsuna wanted to cry out but couldn't. Instead, she took a deep breath and tried to speak once more.

"But," Tsuna stuttered, mind racing, desperately trying to get Hibari to abandon his newest obsession. "But small animals need to learn to cope on their own or they're never survive."

Yeah, that sounded good. Hopefully, Hibari would take that as a clue to leave her alone.

Hibari stopped and for a moment, Tsuna didn't breath, waiting for a response that would determine the rest of her academic career at Nanimori High.

"Non matter," Hibari simply said. "You interest me Tsunayoshi Sawada. I will be keeping my eye on you. Now leave before I bite you to death."

"Hii," Tsuna took a step back, horrified before rushing out of the room.

Well, that had been a total waste of her time. But really, what had she been expecting? Hibari Kyoya did what Hibari Kyoya wanted; everyone knew that. If Hibari wanted to stare, he was going to stare. Nothing Tsuna, nor anyone on this planet, can do to make him stop.

Tsuna sighed.

When did her life turn in to a soap opera?

TBC.


	3. Target 03 Yamamoto Takeshi

A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful support. Here is the next chapter.

* * *

 **Target 03 Yamamoto Takeshi**

* * *

"He's staring at you again."

"Hibari?" Tsuna asked in resignation. Two weeks had passed since she had confronted the prefect in question and got told she was a small animal in need of protection; two weeks had passed and Hibari sometimes still stared at her with unnerving intensity, causing her other classmates to keep a wide berth from her where ever she went. Even the teachers were affected, preferring to ignore her instead of calling her out for daydreaming in class. Tsuna wasn't sure if this change of attitude was a blessing or a curse.

"No, surprisingly, "Hana replied, sounding amused. She was probably having a blast at Tsuna's expense. "Yamamoto Takeshi actually."

Tsuna blinked in surprise. That was unexpected.

"The baseball player?" she said, wanting to be sure Hana was talking about who Tsuna thought she was talking about. Although, Tsuna truly doubted there would be two students with the exact same name in the school.

Like every other attendees of Nanimori High who didn't live under a rock or spend their breaks hiding in an empty stall, Tsuna knew Yamamoto; or at least, knew of his reputation. With Yamamoto being a school icon and Tsuna being Tsuna, her only interaction up to date with the young man was accidentally bumping in to him 2 month ago. She had said sorry, he had smiled and they had moved on.

Logically, there shouldn't be any reason for Yamamoto to pay any attention to her. They had only one class in common (gym) and usually that class passed with Yamamoto soaking up all the attention for being the prodigious athlete he was and Tsuna hiding in one corner, trying to avoid being called out by the teacher. Her natural clumsiness seemed to double in power whenever physical activities were concerned.

"Are you sure it's me he's staring at?" Tsuna asked, trying to surreptitiously glance up and look around, "Maybe it's some long-haired beauty sitting behind me whom he's entranced with."

"That would be a viable explanation if people still sat around you voluntarily," Hana told her matter-of-factedly, making Tsuna glare at her. Although her words were entirely fact, Tsuna felt she didn't have to be so direct about it.

"Oh," said Kyoko, taking that moment to jump in to their conversation, "He's coming this way."

The whispers as well as the pointing curtsy of everyone else in the room slowly rose to a crescendo the closer Yamamoto got to their little corner of the classroom and reached its zenith when the teen stopped in front of Tsuna's desk. Although Tsuna was desperately trying to tune out what everyone else was saying, she could still hear phrases like _Why is Yamamoto bothering with Dame-Tsuna?_ and _Oh my god, Yamamoto looks so good today._ Despite having absolutely no romantic interest in Yamamoto - she really couldn't like someone she hand't interacted with before, Tsuna still had to admit the boy did look good. Wind-swept hair, well-defined features, a gorgeous smile and a lean and athletic body - result of hours upon hours of hard work, Yamamoto Takeshi cut a very attractive figure in his regulatory school uniform...especially in comparison to some of the other male students in class.

Kyoko let out a small squeal and quickly turned away before anything else could come out of her mouth. Tsuna sighed. Kyoko was a class of her own and despite being a girl as well, Tsuna couldn't even start to fathom what was going through that head of hers.

"Hi," Yamamoto said when Tsuna looked up in question, sounding as if this wasn't the first time they had spoken without any spilled books and bruised limps involved, "Sawada? I was wondering if you could lend me a helping hand."

"Me?" Tsuna repeated in confusion, "I don't mind, but what can I do?"

For once, she wasn't being self-deprecating but entirely honest.

Yamamoto took a deep breath.

"You're good friends with Hibari, right?"

Tsuna choked. Hana snorted and Kyoko let out another squeal which was audible despite the fact she was hiding her face in her hands.

"G…Good friends? What on Earth are you tlaking about?" she stuttered, "Hibari doesn't have friends."

"That's true," Yamamoto agreed after a while, "But you seem to be on very good terms with him. My friend saw you voluntarily enter the Disciplinary Committee office during lunch a few times."

"I assure you," Tsuna said, "There is nothing voluntary about those visits."

It was true. Although Tsuna was starting to mind less and less being forced to visit Hibari - usually via a tall and muscular messenger who looked as if he could wring Tsuna's neck with his pinky finger - the fact still remained, she was forced. Why Hibari would voluntarily want to spend time with her was another mystery and one she hadn't even begun to elucidate.

"Hibari usually sends a messenger to get me," Tsuna explained quickly before Yamamoto could get it in his head that Tsuna was being forced in to becoming Hibari's sex slave or something, "I could say no, I guess, but you really don't refuse a guy who could probably crush your skull with one fist. The first time he came, I was a little freaked out, but I'm starting to get used to it."

"What does Hibari want from you?" Yamamoto asked, still looking a little pale.

"Usually, he just has me sitting in front of his desk or has me lying on his leather sofa."

Yamamoto made a horrified sound as Kyoko started to giggle. Hana, predictably, looked amused by the whole situation and was probably recording it for prosperity.

"No, no, no," Tsuna corrected, once again wishing she hadn't confronted the other teen in the first place. At least then, Hibari would simply limit to himself to staring at Tsuna and not...this. "Not like that! He just uses my lap as a pillow for naps. I assure you Yamamoto, Hibari has no interest in me that way. He treats me less as a person and more like a pet. Not surprising, since for him, I'm on the same level as Hibird."

It would be so like Hibari to think that acquiring a human pet was an acceptable practice. Although, when one had as much influence as the prefect, laws and human decency probably didn't mean much.

"Right," Yamamoto said slowly, obviously unsure on how to proceed, "Hmm…anyway, if it's not too much trouble Sawada, I was hoping you could plead my case on my behalf."

"Case?"

"The Student Council has an extra 2000 Yen over, unallocated to any clubs. Naturally, the Disciplinary Committee took custody of the money but hasn't spent it and isn't planning to spend it in the near future. I tried to reason with Hibari for the money because the baseball club really needs new equipment to participate in the Nationals, but Hibari would not budge. But I'm sure if Tsuna talked to him, he would be much more lenient."

"You got to be kidding me," Tsuna said when Yamamoto had stopped talking, "He'll bite me to death if I start making demands of him. I asked him for a glass of water one time and he threw a tonfa at me!"

"W…Well, you are still relatively unharmed right?" Yamamoto pressed, a pleading expression on his face.

"My scars are psychological," Tsuna replied earnestly and wondered when she started being able to say those words non-ironically.

"Oh for god's sake," Hana snapped, "Give the man a break."

She turned to Yamamoto, eyes narrowed.

"If Tsuna's does this for you, you will owe her a big favor. Got that?"

"Yes, of course," Yamamoto agreed eagerly.

Nezu took that moment to enter the room so Yamamoto bid Tsuna goodbye and rushed out before he could get chewed out for not being in his own homeroom.

"Hana," Tsuna hissed, "What on Earth do you think you are doing? I can't talk to Hibari. He still terrifies me. Usually, when I'm in his presence, I tremble too much to even form a coherent sentence. You got Yamamoto's hopes up for nothing."

"Oh you big baby," the girl said, looking unapologetic.

Tsuna resisted the urge to face palm in exasperation.

Why was this all happening to her?

TBC


	4. Target 04 Gratitude

A/N: Thank you so much for the support:) I hope you enjoy this chapter. The plot will be picking up soon and more characters will be introduced.

* * *

 **Target 04 Gratitude**

* * *

She wasn't hiding.

No, hiding would imply that she was afraid of whoever or whatever she was hiding from and no matter what people some people thought and said, there was nothing remotely threatening about Yamamoto Takeshi. Tsuna thought it was the opposite actually. While being near Hibari felt like she was stuck in the middle of a hurricane, being near Yamamoto felt safe and serene, like the calm after the rain. The boy's sometimes clueless smile was normally enough to calm Tsuna down even if it wasn't directed at her. That had been true even before Yamamoto had approached her and asked for her help.

No, it wasn't fear that got her to stay in class an extra 10 minutes after the bell rung to avoid running in to the boy. It was more like Tsuna simply didn't want to have to face Yamamoto's disappointment when she inevitably admitted that she did not have the guts to bring up the topic of money with Hibari.

Disappointing Yamamoto was like kicking a puppy; both despicable things to do and both equally painful to witness. Tsuna always had a healthy dash of self-preservation and she had long learned how to avoid most things she did not want to do. Hibari, of course, being the biggest exception. But Tsuna thought she could be forgiven for that since Hibari was Hibari. If his name was in the dictionary, it would be next to ruthless, and blood-thirsty, not to mention psychotic and territorial. Tsuna would probably have something like coward, idiot and accident prone.

"You are pathetic," Hana said, sounding sad. She was shaking her head too, completing the image of a disapproving parent whose kid had just told her he was too afraid to go on the bouncy house because it was full of big kids.

 _Oh wait, that kid had been Tsuna._

Tsuna glared at her.

"It's all your fault," Tsuna snapped, "If you hadn't told Yamamoto I would do this for him, I wouldn't be in this situation."

"I obviously overestimated your abilities," Hana admitted but didn't bother to issue an apology. Kyoko gave Tsuna a supportive pat on the arm.

"A few weeks ago," Tsuna said almost nostalgically, "My life had been perfect. Sure, I had a few ups and downs from time to time, but people generally left me alone. Then, for some inane reason, Hibari took interest in me and decided to make me his human pet, to be called to his side whenever he wanted. And then you just had to complicate it further by bringing Yamamoto in to the mix. What did I do to deserve this? Can't I just be normal?"

"I would have thought the diversity would please you," Hana grinned in a decidedly shark-like manner. "After all, you life is painfully boring most of the time."

"I like boring," Tsuna said, eyes narrowed, wondering yet again why she was friends with Hana in the first place. "Boring is nice. Boring is safe. Don't take this away from me."

"It's already gone, Baka-Tsuna," Hana sighed, meeting Tsuna's gaze head on. "Get use to it."

"Hmm guys," Kyoko interjected hesitantly, "There's-"

"We're busy," they snapped at the same time, not even bothering to glance in her direction.

Kyoko sighed and turned her attention to the new arrival.

"Sorry about that," she said, "It's nice to see you again Yamamoto."

Tsuna froze.

"Y…Yamamoto," she stuttered, realizing that Kyoko hadn't been bluffing, When had the boy sneaked up on them? God, how can someone so tall be so sneaky? If Tsuna didn't know better, she would have thought Yamamoto was some kind of undercover ninja or a hired hitman. He would probably be a natural too. "H…Hi."

 _Shit. This was bad. She hasn't even thought up any excuses yet._

"Hello Tsuna," Yamamoto beamed at her, "I just wanted to come thank you in person."

"I didn't do anything?" Tsuna blinked, rightfully confused, wondering why the boy was calling her by her first name so naturally.

"Of course you did," Yamamoto insisted eagerly, clapping Tsuna's amicably on one shoulder. "You talked to Hibari, didn't you? Thanks to you, the money was handed over to our club."

"It was?" Tsuna repeated weakly, still in the dark as to what was happening. Talking to Hibari? No, she definitely did not remember talking to Hibari about the club money issue. Logically, she knew she had to dispel whatever delusion Yamamoto was under before things escalate but she couldn't find it in herself to bust his little bubble of joy. Tsuna resolutely did not look over at Hana as the baseball player continued his speech.

"When I asked you, I didn't actually think it would work," Yamamoto admitted sheepishly. He looked so guilty at having doubted Tsuna that all Tsuna wanted to do was tell him he had been right to doubt her. But then the urge passed as Yamamoto returned to his normal self. "But now, I know how wrong I was to have doubted you. You are truly an incredible person Tsuna."

 _Not that I don't appreciate gratitude and all, Yamamoto really got things wrong here!_

"You're welcome?" Tsuna tried and Yamamoto took her hesitant tone as a mark of modesty.

"I was hoping I can thank you in person with dinner at my dad's restaurant. Your friends are welcomed to join as well."

"No, that's not necessary," Tsuna stuttered, holding up her hands in protest, "I'm just happy everything turned out fine."

 _With no intervention from me,_ Tsuna thought but did not say.

"No, no, no," Yamamoto shook his head, "That's unacceptable Tsuna, I want to thank you. Tonight, at 6 at TakeSushi. I'll tell my dad to expect you. I won't accept no for an answer.

"We'll gladly accept," Hana interjected before Tsuna could refuse. Tsuna threw her an incredulous look. It was so like Hana to gladly accept the reward when she done none of the work. Tsuna saw her 10 years from now a decorated CEO, overlooking her minions. It was not a particularly comforting vision. "Thank you."

"Really Hana," Tsuna said once Yamamoto was gone, "What's up with you making decisions for me all of the sudden."

"You make shit decisions Tsuna," Hana said mercilessly, already looking bored with the conversation. "I'm just helping you out. And besides, Yamamoto is a pretty popular guy; it will be good to be on good terms with him."

"It will be fun," Kyoko beamed at her, all innocence, "Please Tsuna? It's been a while since I had sushi."

"Oh all right," Tsuna sighed, unable to refuse a direct request from Kyoko. The girl was like sunshine personified. "But I think we should tell Yamamoto that I didn't do anything to help him, that the money was given to him because of something else."

"And burst his bubble?" Hana shook his head, "Let the boy think what he wants, the end result is the same whether you tell him or not."

"But I don't want him to owe me anything," Tsuna protested, a pit of something gnarling at her stomach. She wondered if this was a sign of things to come. Tsuna had always been good at sensing impending disaster. "It's unfair. And besides, what if anyone else catches wind of this and thinks I have some pull with Hibari? That would be terrible."

She shivered, picturing the unavoidable chaos if it were to happen. People all begging for her help. It wouldn't be too bad if Tsuna had this terrible problem of being unable to refuse people's requests.

"You are thinking too much," Hana narrowed his eyes, "Do what I say or I will end you."

Tsuna let out a small squeak at that and took a step back. Hana can be so terrifying sometimes.

* * *

TBC.


	5. Target 05 Developments

**Target 05 Developments**

* * *

Nana was, predictably, over the moon about Tsuna's diner plans that evening, even going as far as digging out a truly horrific pink monstrosity of a dress she insisted would make Tsuna more "feminine".

"It's for your own good, Tsu-chan," she said but Tsuna, of course, refused. She had never and probably would never have any inclination towards being more "girly" as she found the idea rather repulsive and misogynistic. Girls should have the right to dress any way they wanted as do boys should have the right to dress the way the wanted. Tsuna preferred shorts over skirts; t-shirts over tight fitted blouses and running shoes over high heels. It was who she was and nothing, not even her mother, could change that. Besides, she already had the epitome of femininity as a best friend and that was more then enough in her book.

"Why can't you let me go shopping with you?" Nana pouted as Tsuna resolutely looked away, "How are you going to attract boys if you dress like one of them?"

"I don't live to attract boys mom," Tsuna protested hotly, snatching the dress away from the woman and stuffing it in to the first drawer she saw. "I'm perfectly fine the way I am. It's already bad enough I have to way skirts as part of my school uniform. I refuse to wear them outside of school when I do not have to."

Nana sighed, her expression saying everything she was not.

"It's just dinner. No fancy dresses required." Tsuna sighed, annoyed, "I told you, Kyoko and Hana will also be there. Yamamoto simply wants to thank us for helping him out."

"Yes, yes," Nana said absent-mindedly, not listening to a word Tsuna was saying. She was probably off in her own fantasy land where Tsuna was the princess pursued by all the eligible bachelors in the land. "But this is the first time my no-good daughter has been invited to diner by a boy, and such a handsome one too. You should take advantage."

"Stop calling me that!" Tsuna snapped, his anger hiding the hurt she felt every time Nana would bring out that nickname. It was already bad enough that people at school called her that but to have her own mother do as well? It was something that affected her more then she cared to admit.

"Sorry, sorry," Nana said, unconcerned. "When are Kyoko and Hana coming to get you?"

Tsuna glanced at her watch.

"About now," she answered just as the doorbell rang.

Nana hurried off to answer it, leaving Tsuna alone in her room, wondering why the feeling of impending doom wasn't leaving her be.

* * *

Hana was dressed in a casual blouse and jeans ensemble that mirrored Tsuna's while Kyoko, in typically Kyoko fashion, was dressed in a flowery summer dress that hugged her every curve; the skirt of the dress twirling flirtatiously around her legs as she walked. It was all very feminine and Nana took at least 10 minutes gushing over her as Tsuna tried her best to get her mother to let go of the young girl.

"We'll be late if we don't leave," she said, finally dragging Kyoko out of the house, "Don't wait up."

They walked silently down the cobbled pathway until they reached the sidewalk. With Tsuna as lead, the trio turned right, heading towards the Shopping district where TakSushi was situated. Since the restaurant was only 15 minutes away, they would be a little early arriving there but Tsuna figured that Yamamoto wouldn't care about that. It was only when they had walked 1 block that Hana finally decided to break the silence.

"You're in a mood," she said, narrowing her eyes contemplatively in Tsuna's direction, "Don't tell me you are still annoyed at me for making decisions for you."

"No, of course not," Tsuna assured her quickly. Tsuna had never been one to hold grudges, especially when her best friends were concerned. "It's just…I have a bad feeling about today."

A shiver ran down her spine and Tsuna glanced around furtively, wondering if they were being followed. Hana, catching on to her reaction, looked as well and frowned at Tsuna when nothing could be found.

"You're thinking too much Tsuna," Kyoko said, smiling brightly. She looked happier now that she knew why Tsuna had been so quiet. "Nothing is going to happen."

"When did you start feeling this way?" Hana asked, ignoring Kyoko causing the girl to pout.

"Since second period after Yamamoto came to talk to us," Tsuna replied, "I had this feeling of impending doom in the pit of my stomach. And for some reason, it's not going away."

For a moment, Hana did not reply.

"Hana?"

The girl shook her head.

"Come on," she said, "Maybe some food will cheer you up."

* * *

"Welcome!"

Tsuyoshi Yamamoto was a average-height man with kind eyes and a big smile, not unlike his son. He greeted the trio warmly as they entered and quickly ushered them to seats at the bar.

"It's good to meet my son's friends from school," he said as he poured each one of them a cup of steaming black tea.

Tsuna blushed, resisting the urge to say that they were not really friends as that would sound too rude in this situation. And besides, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto was making her feel extremely uncomfortable for some reason. Despite his jovial manners and easy laugh, Tsuna couldn't help but sense a darkness from him that told her he was more then he seemed. What that meant, she didn't know.

"Tsuna!" Takeshi called out as he made his way over. He was wearing an apron which suggested that he had been working in the kitchen. "And Sasagawa, Kurokawa. I hope you guys are hungry."

"Thank you for inviting us," Tsuna said automatically, turning away from the father to the son. His sentiment was quickly repeated by her two best friends.

"It's the least I can do," Takeshi replied, sweeping the words away with a dismissive hand, "So what do you guys want to eat?"

"Takeshi insisted on making all the sushi himself," Tsuyoshi confided in the three girls, making Tsuna's eyes widen slightly. She had no idea Takeshi was so good at cooking.

"I'm still a beginner," Takeshi insisted, a soft blush coloring his cheeks. "Please be kind to me."

"Well, it can't be worst then my cooking," Hana sighed, sounding dejected. Tsuna didn't blame her. Before Hana, Tsuna hadn't thought it was possible to burn water.

"Cooking is a process," Takeshi said, sounding as if he was quoting someone, "To cook the perfect meal, you need to understand how the ingredients feel as they are being cooked."

Tsuna blinked. _Wait…what did he just say?_ Beside her, Kyoko giggled while Hana looked as if she was seriously questioning Takeshi's mental well-being.

"Where on earth did you hear that from?" Tsuyoshi asked incredulously, turning away from the sushi roller.

Takeshi shrugged, looking a little confused. Tsuna sighed. Takeshi had probably got that quote wrong. It wouldn't be the first time he did it too.

While Takeshi tried to get his thoughts in order, Tsuna pursued the menu carefully, writing down a few choices she was interested in on the piece of paper provided by the restaurant. 10 minutes later, she had finally put together a list and was about to give it to a waiting Takeshi when the feeling she had tried to ignore all day came back with a revenge.

"Tsuna?" Hana asked worriedly. Even Kyoko had stopped in mid-action, turning to Tsuna, a uncharacteristic look of alarm on her face.

"Is something wrong?" Takeshi asked, suddenly noticing the silence. Tsuyoshi did not comment.

"It's nothing," Tsuna shrugged, feeling unsettled. Why was she feeling this way?

The door to the restaurant opened and Tsuna jumped in her seat, her heart suddenly beating a thousand miles per minute.

"Tsuna?"

"Owner," one of the new arrivals said, a foreign accent coloring his words. Probably European Tsuna thought and promptly wondered how she was so certain of it.

"Jake," Tsuyoshi replied, sounding strained. He was no longer smiling and that little fact made alarm bells ring in Tsuna's mind. "What are you doing here?"

"Weren't you expecting me?" the man named Jake replied, looking unconcerned, "I do admit I'm a little early."

"You're 5 hours early," Tsuyoshi snapped, "I have guests."

Jake finally glanced away from the elder Yamamoto and turned his attention to Tsuna and company.

"I see," he said, examining them one by one. Tsuna was suddenly reminded of a predator analyzing their prey. "Kids."

His expression of utter boredom changed however when his gaze landed on Tsuna.

"Dear God," Jake said, surprised. He actually took a step back and gestured for his companion to take a look as well. "Mark."

The other man, Mark, looked over at Tsuna as well before his eyes grew large to match his companion's.

"It's uncanny," he admitted and Tsuna wanted very much to ask what they were seeing that fascinated them so.

"This is none of your business," Tsuyoshi said, sounding annoyed. With one smooth movement that really shouldn't be possible for someone his age, he jumped over the bar to land near Tsuna.

"So it's not a coincidence then?" Jake asked, looking amused. "How selfish of you to keep this to yourself. You know the Boss will reward me handsomely if-"

"It's a coincidence," Tsuyoshi interrupted, taking another step toward so that he was now completely covering Tsuna from view. The young woman wondered why her appearance was so fascinating to these men when all her life, she had been a wall flower.

"Dad, what is going on?"

"Takeshi," Tsuyoshi said, his grip on his knife just that much tighter. The situation was quickly dissolving in to something every dangerous and potentially life-threatening. Tsuna did not cry although she really wanted to at that moment. "I'm very sorry for ruining your plans. Something came up. Can you bring your friends somewhere else while I deal with this?"

"Now, now," Jake said, his arm snaking in to his suit jacket to extract…a gun. "Let's not do anything we will regret."

Tsuna suddenly felt faint while Kyoko let out a cry of terror. Predictably, only Hana remained calm, although that was probably shock doing its work.

"Come on," Takeshi said, incredibly calm considering the situation. He grabbed Tsuna by the arm and start pulling her towards the back exit, "Let's get out of here."

There was a big bang, reminiscent of a small bomb going off. The door slammed open once more and to Tsuna's utter shock, Hibari stepped through, looking thunderous.

"Oh," Jake said in the tone of someone who has no idea who Hibari was and what he was capable of, "More company."

"Having a gun is against the law," Hibari hissed and Tsuna was so grateful that he was here that she didn't even question how he knew that there was a man with a gun on the premise. "I'm going to bite you to death."

What soon ensured was an epic fight that involved Hibari expertly dodging every bullet fired his way and the two man crying out in pain when Hibari finally hit them with the metal body of his tonfas.

"Herbivore," Hibari tsked and took out a cellphone from his pocket. "I need a clean up crew ASAP."

"Clean up crew!" Tsuna shrieked taking a step back, her back bumping against the counter, "What does that even mean?"

Hibari did not answer.

"You are a magnet for trouble," he said instead and Tsuna glared at him, adrenaline making her bolder then normal.

"I don't ask for this to happen to me," she snapped. "Besides, this is the first time something like this happened."

"Mr. Yamamoto," Hana said, turning to the only adult in the room, "You said you were expecting them. Is it OK for Hibari to take them away?"

"It's OK for now," he replied, shaking his head. He didn't look alarmed which could mean a lot of things. Unfortunately, Tsuna was still to shocked at being held at gun point that she didn't even think of it. "I'm glad you kids weren't hurt."

"Dad?" Takeshi asked, looking a little shaken by the experience. Tsuna thought that it said a lot about Hibari that the young man had barely blinked at the sight of guns pointing at him. "Who were they? Are they part of the Yakuza?"

It was a valid question as owning a gun in Nanimori was against the law. Only policemen who have received permission from HQ had the right to bear arms. Those two definitely did not look like policeman.

"Make sure you get these noisy herbivores out of here," Hibari said, before making his leave. Tsuyoshi did not reply.

A few minutes later, two members of the disciplinary committee arrived and carried the unconscious bodies off to god-knows where.

Tsuna sank back in to her seat, feeling drained. She had been right to worry after all.

 _Really,_ Tsuna thought bitterly to herself, _why was this all happening to her?_

TBC.

* * *

Things are starting to heat up...

Also, I see Tsuna's appearance as similar to male Tsuna but more feminine (same hairstyle and eyes and general features).


	6. Target 06 Discovery

A/N: Thank you so much for the wonderful support. Your reviews, follows and favorites all inspire me. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

 **Target 06 Discovery**

* * *

"Where do you think Hibari has stashed those guys from earlier?" Tsuna asked.

They were sitting in her room, eating the sushi Mr. Yamamoto has given them before ushering them out of his restaurant, his face blank and emotionless. Takeshi had been offered to come with but the teenager had refused, stating he much preferred staying with his father. It was a remarkable show of loyalty especially considering that there was a possibility the two men had companions who would come looking for them if they were gone too long. Tsuna didn't think she could have stayed there with the risk of other gun-wielding foreigners come crashing in. One encounter with gun-wielding maniacs was enough for her, thank you very much.

"I don't usually think of those things," Hana admitted, biting her lips. She had recovered remarkably from her first experience of being held at gun-point and was mostly back to her old self. Tsuna wasn't surprised. Hana had shown admirable adaptability in the past.

"I don't care," Kyoko added her two cents, her arms wrapped around her body, her face pale and withdrawn. Shock had made her uncharacteristically combative. The usual Kyoko never would have said that she didn't care, no matter how rotten the person was. "As long as they never come back."

At least that, Tsuna agreed whole heartedly. Although, she was still curious as to where Hibari brought his victims. She imagined an abandoned warehouse full with bloody bodies, some alive and some dead, and shivered. OK, maybe she wasn't that curious.

"You know what bothered me the most?" Hana suddenly piped up, gaze intense, "It's how fixated they were on you."

Tsuna glanced at her. Yes, that had been something she had thought about.

"That was a little weird," she admitted, trying to forget the way foreigner number 1 had looked at her before something about his boss rewarding him handsomely. And why had Mr. Yamamoto look so defensive of her? There was something inside her that was telling her it was more then about protecting a child from danger. "Maybe I just look like someone they know or they are trying to find?"

"Who?" Kyoko asked and Tsuna laughed mirthlessly.

"Well," she snorted, "Isn't that the million dollar question?"

* * *

School the next day was almost like an anticlimactic ending to an otherwise engaging and breathtaking action movie. Nothing changed, for the better and for the worse.

 _"_ _Dame Tsuna! You are supposed to catch the ball, not let it hit you in the face."_

 _"_ _Idiot! You made our team lose. Clean the whole gym up by yourself!"_

Except…

"Tsuna!"

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna said, surprised. The teen looked terrible, his hair a mess, his uniform disheveled. Why was Yamamoto here? Didn't he have baseball practice after school? Tsuna really couldn't see the boy skipping practice if it was not for a good reason. Yamamoto loved baseball more then anything else in the world. Tsuna thought that the only reason he came to school at all was because of baseball. With all that said, Yamamoto's appearance was enough to put Tsuna on edge. "What's wrong?"

"Dad left a few minutes after you guys," Yamamoto replied, wringing his hands as a show of nerves. Tsuna's eyes widened a little although for some reason, she wasn't all that surprised. "I waited for him all night and he never came back. I'm seriously worried especially with what had happened yesterday."

"You should be," Tsuna admitted, remembering the two men with depressingly accurate details. They had been terrifying. What had been worst was that something in their eyes had told Tsuna that they wouldn't have hesitated to shoot them if Hibari hadn't shown up there and then. Yamamoto was right to be freaked out. The chances of something bad happening to his father were pretty high considering the circumstances in which he vanished in. Although she didn't know Tsuyoshi Yamamoto really well, she knew how painful it was to lose a parent. "Maybe we should ask Hibari? Your father probably went to see him."

Yamamoto brightened a little at that. He had obviously not considered that possibility before hand.

"Good plan," he said, "I knew I could count on you Tsuna."

Tsuna blushed a little at the praise, still unused to being called "good".

"Don't worry about coming with me," Yamamoto continued, "You still have to finish cleaning and I don't want you to get in to trouble for my sake."

"Are you sure?" Tsuna asked, more then a little relieved. Her increased interactions with Hibari on a more personal level hadn't cured her of her fear regarding the prefect.

"I'll come back to join you later on."

With that, Yamamoto turned on his heels and rushed out of the gym. Tsuna stared after him, feeling queasy and uncertain.

* * *

Hibari had no idea where Mr. Yamamoto was and the ignorance obviously rankled him because he actually offered to have some of his minions look in to it. Hana, upon hearing the situation, suggested that they go back to the scene of the disappearance.

"Victims always leave behind clues," she said and Tsuna glared at her for her choice of words.

"Tsuna," Yamamoto said, turning to the girl, "I really hate to bother you but can you help me one last time? Two heads are better then one after all and I need all the brainpower available to figure this thing out."

Luckily, by the time that was said, Hana was long gone or else Tsuna was certain she would be laughing her head off at the mere prospect of the two of them generating enough brain power to solve a mystery that left even Hibari in the dark.

"I have no problems with that," Tsuna said, thinking of her empty house and her mother's comment about going to diner with some friends that evening.

"Thanks Tsuna," Yamamoto said and offered a small smile. He was looking better already and Tsuna was proud to have been the source of that amelioration.

* * *

The Yamomoto abode was situated a floor above TakeSushi which must be very convenient opening up shop in the morning.

With a key he had extracted from his bag, Yamamoto unlocked the front door before ushering Tsuna inside.

"It's this way," Yamamoto said, turning left from the entrance and going up a set of stairs the girl had not previously noticed. The stairs were narrow, just painted steps without any carpet and the treads themselves were poorly late and difficult to walk on. Tsuna knew that if Yamamoto hadn't taken out his cellphone to provide better illumination, she would have missed a step and killed herself in the subsequent tumble down. Fortunately, that did not happen and they managed to arrive at their destination without any major mishap.

"My father's study is this way," Yamamoto said, grabbing on to Tsuna's arm to drag her down a long corridor. He pushed open the first door to their left and here they were, in a miniature library that probably contained over 100 books.

"Wow," Tsuna said, taking in the book cases towering over them. "I never knew your father was such a scholar. Have you read any of these books?"

"He is," Yamamoto smiled a little at that, "And no, I haven't. This is the first time I've been in this room without dad. He hates when I touch his stuff without permission and I had never gotten permission to see what these tomes were all about. If there is any clue regarding his disappearance, I'm sure we'll find it here."

Tsuna took another step forward.

"This is incredible," she said, gingerly taking one of the thinnest volumes out of its hiding place, "Oh dear, this one is entirely handwritten."

She flipped through it.

"This is a contract of some kind," she said deducing that fact from the signatures at the very end, "Although I can't understand anything because it is written in another language."

"It's Italian," Yamamoto replied unexpectedly, "Dad knows people from there."

Tsuna slid the volume back where she had taken it from and continued her search.

Most of the volumes on the first bookcase turned out to be in Italian, something that infuriated Tsuna a great deal. Yamamoto laughed a little at her disgruntled expression and reassured her that they are making decent progress and that she shouldn't let this bring her down.

"You can look at the pictures," he joked. Tsuna stared at him, wondering how looking at the pictures would help them find out with Tsuyoshi had gone to.

An hour passed in the same manner and by 6 pm, Tsuna was so sick of looking through dusty manuscripts that she seriously debated whether she should invent an excuse and get herself out of there. Yamamoto could probably continue on his own, she thought. After all, the boy had demonstrated a basic grasp of the Italian language - probably due to his father's tutelage - unlike her. At least he seemed to understand the nature of most of what he was reading.

Tsuna sighed, pushing up from the crouching position she had been in for the past 10 minutes and stretched.

"Ah, that feels good," she said in satisfaction, momentarily closing her eyes. She opened them though when Yamamoto cried out: "Tsuna, watch out!"

 _Shit,_ Tsuna thought as something buzzed past her, causing her to stumble backwards and hit the bookcase behind her with a solid thump. The book case trembled a little under the assault and just as Tsuna was breathing a sign of relief that nothing had fallen, she felt something hit her head.

"Oww!" she cursed, rubbing at the victimized area, "What on Earth!?"

"Sorry," Takeshi said sheepishly, rushing to her side. He did look a little guilty for yelling out like that so Tsuna agreed to be more generous. "It's just an insect. When I heard the noise, I thought it was something else."

He didn't have to say what he had thought it was.

"That's OK," Tsuna sighed, deciding that this was probably fate's way of telling her it was time to leave. She sighed, bending down to retrieve the fallen book and nearly dropped it again when first contact with the volume sent a pulse of warmth down her fingertips to be propagated all over her body. She suddenly felt calm, serene, almost as if all her worries were gone. The constant buzzing in her head that had been her companion for about 10 years now has finally subsided as well and Tsuna, for the first time in her life, was able to think clearly.

"What's wrong?" Yamamoto asked when he had noticed her reaction. He glanced down.

"La Storia della Vongola Famiglia," he read, "The history of the Vongola Family. That crest looks strangely familiar. Where had I seen it before? Tsuna, do you- Oh dear God Tsuna! You head is on fire!"

TBC.


End file.
